The Wasp — 1896 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains the magazine's masthead and a single cartoon titled "An Enjoyable Social Function." The cartoon depicts a conversation between two people at what appears to be a wedding reception. Mr. Jackson Hyte asks Miss Octavia Street about "the most charming features of the wedding last night," and she responds that while the bride's dress fit badly, she heard "a number of unpleasant remarks about the gifts." The satire targets wedding etiquette and social hypocrisy of the 1890s. The cartoon mocks how guests focus on criticizing superficial details (the bride's appearance) and expressing dissatisfaction about wedding gifts rather than genuinely celebrating the occasion. It's a commentary on shallow materialism and cattiness within upper-class social gatherings.